Ways of the World
by Mitsuye-san
Summary: The world does things its own way. We all know this. We all know that we can't control it and we're at its complete mercy. Yet, even though we know this, it doesn't stop some from trying.
1. Chapter 1

The elegant blades of green grass swayed with each gust of cool wind, dancing with the trees' branches that gently moved about as well. The leaves brushed and rustled against each other, adding to the melodious songs the birds sung. The sun was out in the cloudless blue sky, shining its golden, warm rays onto the earth, brightening the forest and creating an atmosphere of peace and serenity. The stream moved against the wind, its clear waters heading towards the town where it'll merge with a strong river that he visited from time to time.

It was his secret place, a place that no one would ever find out about, a place where he could let out all his secrets, whispering them to the wind where it would carry them far from him, letting him forget about the troubles of his life for a moment. He felt secure here, safe here, himself here; the perfect place for him to feel _normal_.

It was his sanctuary from the world.

He loved his family, he loved the towns and villages, he loved the townspeople, he loved every aspect that his country had to offer, but he hated his boring, uneventful life as royalty. He had learned magic for the very purpose of brightening up everyone's day, making them laugh and smile until it hurt to do so. It made him proud and happy that he could achieve something as great as that but there wasn't anyone that could do the same for him. It made him feel alone.

So he had created a mask, one that could hide what he was truly feeling from the people around him, keeping them oblivious to his loneliness because he didn't want them to worry. He had created the facade for the sole purpose of hiding his emotion, only putting it on when times really got tough. But when his father had died, he couldn't bear the grief and agony he had felt on that day and soon, the facade had become a normal, natural thing that he kept up everyday.

He had locked up his feeling, his desires, and left them in a dark corner of his mind where he would open only when he was in his sanctuary, a place where he didn't have to worry about being found out or pitied.

Like every other time he had visited this wonderfully surreal place, he had unlocked the tight chain and brought down his walls, letting the rush of emotion drown him in its depth. He did this every time he came, but there was only one thing he promised himself he would never do. And that was to cry. Never would he shed a single tear; it didn't matter where he was or who he was with, but he wouldn't shed a single drop. The last time he had cried was at his father's funeral and it would stay that way until he reached his grave.

He sat on a smooth rock that sat beside the flowing stream, watching his reflection mimic what faces he made in his emotional state.

"What's wrong?"

He started and whipped his head around, eyes wide as they darted around the scenery until they met with striking blue ones that looked worriedly at him. The figure stood under the shade of a tree, his hair gently blew across his face as the wind chose that moment to blow past them, he wore a dark cloak around his clothing that were equally dark, and his gentle blue eyes searched his in hopes of finding out the cause of his turmoil.

"Who are you? How did you get here?" Kaito asked, a note of authority slipped into his tone. No one was suppose to know about this place but him and only him. How did this complete stranger suddenly come out of nowhere and invade his peace? The fact that he saw he, Kuroba Kaito, prince and heir to the throne, in such a weakened and vulnerable state was enough to make him demand the other to leave and never come back.

"I live around here." The stranger replied, stepping out of the shadows and towards him. Kaito's eyes drank in his features as the other stood right in front of him but not in his personal bubble. The other, Kaito noticed, had an uncanny resemblance to him that they could even be considered twins if one didn't look too closely.

"I've been to this place for _years _and I've never seen you before. How could you possibly live here without me knowing?" Kaito retorted, eyeing the strange teen warily. Said teen only gave a light chuckle as a reply before sitting on the grass, his hands propping him up from behind and his legs out before him with one drawn in. He brought his head back to look at the sky, his eyes dark with unknown emotion, as he closed his eyes and sighed before letting a wistful look appear on his face.

"I've been here for a long time - before you even knew this place existed - but I kept myself hidden and isolated myself from any possible travelers coming this way or human contact in general."

Kaito raised an eyebrow, forgetting momentarily the swirl of emotion inside of him as curiosity radiated off of him in waves that he was sure the other could feel, but before he could ask anything else, a distant ringing of a bell could be heard, signalling his leave. Kaito got up and dusted himself off while his doppelganger looked at him curiously with - was that loneliness in his eyes?

"Well, that's my cue to leave, but I guess I'll see you later?" Kaito asked, glancing down at the cloaked teen, whose eyes widened fractionally as if in shock before returning back to its original size.

A small smile appeared on his lips before he nodded. "Sure."

*~OoOoOo~*

Kaito walked into the palace and swiftly made his way towards his room, ignoring the calls of several maids that asked him to stop. He shut the door with a quiet click and fell face first into the soft haven of his bed, burying his nose into the snow-white pillows and breathed in deeply, a grin was refusing to remove itself from his face.

He was excited; it was almost the day that the annual Clover Festival, arguably his favorite time of the year, would take place. It was a festival that was made in memory of his father who had loved festivals, parties, balls; anything that consisted of large amounts of people, food, entertainment, and laughter.

But that wasn't the only reason why he was excited.

It was almost time for him to meet up with Shinichi.

It had been weeks since their first meeting and they had become fast friends. And even though Kaito had been wary of him at first, curiosity had won over and they had begun to have lengthy conversations ranging from the weather to fairy-tales, to people and their ways of life. It was a wonderful experience that he had forgotten and left behind in his childhood when he developed his masks. Sure, he had Aoko, the tomboyish and loud, yet soft-hearted and kind girl that was his childhood friend, but it just wasn't the same as it was with Shinichi.

Shinichi, he had learned, was a calm, quiet person who preferred listening over talking and had a dry sense of humor. He had a sense of justice and possibly cared for every breathing, living thing on thing on this planet. He hadn't asked _why _he felt that way because Shinichi never asked him anything personal so he thought it would only be fair. They never pried into each other's lives or secrets - only gave the other an ear and listened.

Yet, even though he knew all of this, he couldn't help but wonder why Shinichi seemed lonely every time Kaito turned his back on him. It was as if Shinichi had masks of his own as well, carefully keeping Kaito outside the walls of his world, and it bothered him. He had masks as well, but ever since the first week of their encounters, he'd slowly and hesitantly pulled them off around Shinichi and only Shinichi. He entrusted him with his fears and feelings, yet the other wouldn't do the same. It made him think about how much Shinichi actually trusted him.

Kaito, after the pleas coming from the maids on the other side of his door gave up their futile attempts to coax him out, quietly opened the window - not that he really needed to, the palace was loud enough with everyone preparing for the festival - and slipped out, crawling down the lengthy, aged wall of the castle. When his shoes touched the ground, he looked both ways before he ran towards the forest where Shinichi would be waiting for him.

And indeed he was.

He sat where he always did - right beside the rock that Kaito claimed his after a childish banter between the two. Shinichi was always there; never late or anything, and he always sat in the same place with the same position that made it seem like he never left the spot before. As Kaito came closer, the calm expression that never seemed to leave Shinichi's face was, for once, absent, and in its stead was a troubled expression that Kaito had never seen on his face before.

He quietly made his way over, not wanting to disturb the other in case he was thinking about something important, and took his seat on the smooth rock. He stared at the stream, making him remember an odd conversation they had had a few days prior.

_He had been sitting on the rock as he always did, and stared as Shinichi seemed to be trying to catch something in the stream._

_"What are you doing?" Kaito asked curiously, leaning forward to get a better view of what his friend was doing._

_"Nothing much." Shinichi mumbled, completely concentrating on his mysterious task._

As he thought back on it, he guess he should have known what was going to happen. After all, why else would someone randomly reach into the waters without another reason besides wanting to feel the flow of water against their hands?

_Shinichi swiped his hands into the water and his eyes brightened a bit at whatever he had just done._

_"Hey Kaito," Shinichi said, standing up on his feet and brought his hands out towards Kaito, seemingly trying to contain something inside. "Look at it!"_

_He opened his hands a bit and Kaito leaned in for a better look. That had been the stupidest idea he had ever had because he tensed in fear before he let out a strangled scream, bolting across the clearing and up a tree. Shinichi started but quickly put the fish back into the water where it swam with the current, and jogged towards the tree and under the branch Kaito was currently hugging himself upon._

_"Kaito?"_

_His answer was a strangled sound coming from his throat._

_"Are you alright?"_

_Another strangle sound but he managed to shake his head._

_"Can you come down?"_

_"Do you still have the f-finny thing in your hands?" He warily spoke, glancing down from the high branch he was perched on._

_"Don't worry, I don't have it anymore, so can you come down?" Shinichi asked, holding his hands up, palms out as proof that he didn't have the devil's pet in his hands any longer._

_He hesitantly climbed down the tree, slower than what was strictly necessary but Shinichi hadn't complained and just stood patiently, waiting for him to reach the ground._

After that, Kaito made sure to keep his body out of the stream in fear of the finny things even though Shinichi had told him that there weren't many finny things that show up in the stream. So, he stayed on his rock and stared at the stream as he always did, but every time he caught a glimpse of something even remotely like a fish, he would jump and snap his gaze towards Shinichi who didn't seem to mind his strange fear of fish.

Kaito glanced at Shinichi, his face seemed to let go of the troubled expression in favor of sporting a dejected look as he tossed a pebble into the clear waters of the stream - the first movement he had made other than breathing and blinking.

"Hey Kaito?" Shinichi mumbled, watching as the pebble slowly sunk into the water and got carried away just as quickly by the currents.

Kaito glanced at him before tossing his own pebble into the stream. "Hm?"

"You're the heir to the throne, right?" Kaito started a bit at the question. Shinichi never seemed like one who cared about politics or the royal family, but he assumed he had a reason for the out-of-character question.

"Yeah." Kaito gave him a quick glance before tossing another pebble into the water. "Why do you ask?"

"Nothing. I was just curious."

"Well, let's tal-"

"Kaito." Shinichi cut in, bright blue eyes locked with his. "I think it's best that you leave now. You wouldn't want your family worrying about you, no?" Shinichi looked up at the darkening sky and Kaito did the same.

"They can wait a while longer, but first I just want to ask you abo-"

"Kaito." Shinichi cut in, his face became expressionless and blank; a look that Kaito had dubbed as one of his masks. He turned away and took a step towards the opposite direction of the palace. "I think it'd be best if we don't meet anymore."

Kaito stood rooted in his spot as Shinichi's cloaked figure disappeared in the shadows of the forest. He hadn't made a move until a few minutes after Shinichi's exit when he ran after him. But when he passed the first tree, he had somehow ended up in front of the palace gates which he knew was nowhere near the serenity of the clearing.


	2. Chapter 2

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**Disclaimer: Everything goes to their rightful owners.**

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What had happened? Kaito stood transfixed, looking around him in confusion, his eyes narrowing the slightest bit in frustration. This had been around the tenth time he had somehow transported here through the first rank of trees back in the clearing. It irked him to no end, not knowing how things worked, and he let out a sigh. Then he froze. Oh no. No, no, no. He did _not _just sigh. _He never sighed!_

He let out a groan, mentally smacking himself. Look what's happening to him; he's acting all depressed because he had been tossed aside by Shinichi who walked out of his world, leaving no clues about his whereabouts besides the fact that he walked through the ranks of trees that _he can't walk through_. He was about to go back into the clearing to continue his vain attempts of passing it when a sudden thought struck him and he ran towards the palace.

Kaito let a manic grin slip onto his face, his mood brightening up considerably. _No one can get rid of me that easily. And Shinichi definitely won't be the first. _

He ran through the corridors, taking a confusing route so that if any of the maids had spotted him, they wouldn't be able to tell where he went. He skidded to a stop at an aged, wooden door that looked as if it was about to break off the hinges at any given moment. He knocked, bouncing impatiently on the balls of his feet, and burst in when he heard a muffled "Come in."

He took a step in and waited for his eyes to adjust before walking towards the room where he knew the other was waiting in. After all, it was, perhaps, the only room he had ever seen her in. As he opened the door, the golden and orange flames, he saw, was the only thing lighting the room, giving it a vibrant yet gloomy atmosphere.

A girl sat in perfect posture, occupying an armchair that faced the dancing flames she stared intently at. He stood, waiting for her to instruct him to do something or ask him something as she always did. Sensing this, the girl waved a hand towards an armchair that also faced the flickering flames that she found so interesting and he obeyed, watching her out of the corner of his eyes the entire time.

"So Kuroba-kun," She spoke when he sat, her voice held a teasing note in it despite the serious expression she voiced it with, "For what reason did you come here today?"

"I'm positive you would know, Akako. After all, you are the Elder of Knowledge." Kaito replied, shooting a quick glance at Akako before returning his gaze to the flames.

"Indeed I do." She confirmed with a slight nod. "You are here for the reason of why you cannot get pass a certain part of the forest, are you not?"

Kaito nodded. "I've tried going through from different angles, tried to see if there was any spell casted or any inscriptions so that I could break it, but no matter what I did, I couldn't get through." His face became slightly pinched with irritation as he suddenly thought of other ways he could have tried to enter with, but it quickly vanished as he turned his head to regard Akako. "So will you give me what I need?"

"Everything comes with a price, Kuroba-kun. What will I get in return?"

"Depends on how much information you give me." He retorted, narrowing his eyes warily as watched the girl.

"Then I fear my reward won't be much, will it? This is classified information, Kuroba-kun, and if you want it, it'll be with a price." Akako said flippantly, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"What do you want?" Kaito groaned, leaning his head back with his eyes closed, holding a hand to his head as he vigorously shook it, messing up his hair. He had forgotten how frustrating the elder could be when she wasn't in a particularly helpful mood.

"I..." She trailed off, her eyes softening as she continued to stare into the flames, "I want to meet them. The one you're actually here for."

His eyes widened fractionally before he let a smile emerge, "Alright."

She looked at him with guilty, distressed eyes that made him wonder what had caused the usually light and twinkling eyes to dim, but he tore away from his thoughts to absorb the information Akako was about to tell him. "The answer is simple, really." She began, her voice, though not loud, sounded clearly into Kaito's ears. "It's exactly what you think - a spell, but it's a unique one, one very high-leveled, and one that could only be presently used by a handful of people."

She leaned back comfortably, losing her posture for this moment. "The spell was first casted and created by a Kuroba family member - namely, the king of that time. He was a strong-willed man, one who enforced and held the law in high regards, and one that went out of his way to befriend and care for us Elders. He was, in short, a generous man who valued life in general and, though he thought of us equally and was friends with all of us, favored Haibara, the Elder of Life - but that's not important now."

"The king, Kuroba Shiro, made the spell, yes, but couldn't cast it without help because of his weak health. So, in his desperation, he had come to me and asked me to aid him in the casting to which I humbly agreed, not wanting to cause unnecessary distress to the man."

"Why did he want to cast it so badly?" Kaito asked, curiosity shined in his indigo eyes. Akako gave him a flat, deadpan look.

"If you waited a moment longer, Kuroba-kun, then you would have the answer to your question."

Kaito sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, mumbling a quick apology before Akako started again. "He wanted to cast it to keep something locked up and hidden, but I'm not sure what because I was never told. I'm assuming it was something that had the potential or already caused destruction, though, since he wanted it locked up so immediately."

Kaito mentally frowned; the tone in her voice betrayed her words, but she was giving him useful information so he let it pass without complaint.

"The spell, as you probably figured out, keeps others out of the perimeter that was set and the thing locked inside. But what I want to know is how you somehow discovered it. We have been very strict about civilians entering the forest, Kuroba-kun. Have you been sneaking around as of late? I do think I remember a maid complaining about how you ran from her a few days earlier." She smirked at him, a knowing glint in her eyes that laughed at him.

"Ah..." He said, looking away from the knowing elder. _At least she lives up to her title._ Kaito thought with a wry smile before he faced her again. "Is that all you have to tell me?"

"There is one more thing." She replied, looking directly at him. "That spell...it needs to be constantly renewed every month or so. Only the those who have Kuroba blood or high-level mages can successfully do it. If you want to enter, it might be best to figure out who's renewing it and tail them."

"Why didn't you tell me that earlier?"

"It just now occurred to me." She drawled, "Anyway, this information would have been told to you at some point, so it was a complete waste to come here and ask me."

"Well, I didn't know that, Akako. But think about it this way, maybe you told me some information that they wouldn't have spoken about."

"I highly doubt that." She said, returning to her stiff posture.

"I take it that that's my cue to leave?" Kaito asked, already starting towards the only exit in the room.

Akako briskly nodded and waved an elegant hand, motioning for his exit from her chamber. He complied, leaving with a thoughtful expression as he mulled over his new information, devising new plans on how to pass the barrier. He decided to check with the Elder of Life and see if she knew anything since she was supposedly the one that the king had favored.

With a nod, he briskly walked through the maze of a palace, heading to Haibara's chamber with the intent to gather information.

*~OoOoOo~*

"No."

"But why not?" Kaito hissed, glaring at the girl who was sitting on a worn stool, flipping through pages or various books, not even looking at him.

"Because what you are asking for is classified information." She replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Akako enlightened my mind some even though it was classified info." Kaito retorted, crossing his arms childishly as he continued to glare at the girl's back.

"Akako is Akako, Kuroba-kun, and I am me. Do not compare Akako's actions to mine." Haibara said, vigorously scrawling something in black ink, seemingly making a note for future purposes. Most likely something about locking doors and not opening her's to the Kuroba prince ever again.

"It's not like she handed out for free; I made a deal with her, so why not with you?"

"Why are you being so persistent about this?" She shot back, her hand slowing down its writing until it came to a gradual stop, "Surely you know from Akako that you'll be told your wanted information soon." She turned around on her stool, now facing Kaito with sharp, intense eyes, a frown marring her features.

"Because I want to know it _now_." Kaito answered, "I don't _want _to wait until they decide to tell me - although I'm positive I could. Did you know, Haibara-san, that I've been completely bored out of my mind these last few years? Sure I have occasional chases with Aoko or arguments with Hakuba, but nothing _exciting _happens!" He huffed, leaning more into the couch that the elder had ordered him to sit in.

"Then why don't you make it exciting yourself?" Haibara drawled, staring at him with eyes that clearly expressed her boredom.

"And I did." Kaito shot back, "I made a new friend in the forest but then that accursed barrier came into the equation."

"_What_?" Haibara asked, suddenly interested in what he was saying. "You made a friend in the _forest_?"

"What about it?" Kaito asked stubbornly, "It's not like he was a bad person or anything; he was actually pretty nice."

"_He_?" Haibara hissed under her breath, bringing her hands up to rub her temples, attempting to get rid of a rising headache. "Kuroba-kun, what exactly was his name?"

Kaito looked at her weirdly and opened his mouth to reply, but a sudden thought entered his mind and he smiled wickedly, an action that everyone in the palace knew as a bad sign. "What about this instead, Elder-san. You tell me what I want and I'll tell you what you want." Haibara's eye twitched the slightest the twitches before she sighed, closing her eyes and looking up towards the heavens.

"What do you want to know?" She asked in defeat.

"That's the question I wanted to hear the most, Haibara-san!" Kaito cheered, clasping his hands together before turning serious. "I want to know what the king had trapped in the barrier and why he did it."

Haibara's eyebrows drew together in obvious contemplation. "Well, to start off, the king of that time, Shiro as you should know, never did anything serious without a good reason." Kaito nodded in understanding, "He was very strict about law and order, and punished those who decided to disobey it - somewhat like Hakuba, though he wasn't as by-the-book as he was. So when he heard about someone mass-murdering a large remote village south of the palace, he had immediately up and left, only taking a few others with him."

"Mass murder?" Kaito asked, causing the girl to shake her head.

"You only get the one question, Kuroba-kun. Anyways, I was one of the few others, along with Akako, to go with him. When we arrived, you can say we were surprised - no, scratch that, we were stupefied. And it wasn't because of the blood and bodies - though that was _quite _the scene; even made my stomach churn unpleasantly - but because of _who _did it."

Kaito, though slightly sickened by the mental image she had unintentionally given him, tried again. "Mass murder...?"

Haibara glared, making him clamp his mouth shut and nod an apology. "_Only one question, Kuroba-kun_. So, like I said before, we were all shell-shocked and wide-eyed, staring at the person standing in the middle of the ocean of blood, covered all over it himself. The king though, was so absolutely horrified that he took immediate and hasty actions."

_He stood there, frozen in disbelief before his mind turned back on. He barked orders, a voice that was steady and firm although she knew that he was inwardly panicking._

_"Get him! Bind him and take him to the forest!" The kind commanded, his eyes still wide with dissipating shock._

_They did as they were told and brought the murderer deep into a secluded spot in the forest where he stood, his hands and feet bound together, waiting for the king's punishment to come without complaint or struggle. His bloodied figure stood out in the healthy green and brown of the forest, a dim glow of moonlight surrounding him as he hung his head low, hiding his eyes with his bangs. _

_It confused her. But she made no move to voice her confusion._

_"It is disappointing to know that this is the road you have chosen." The king spoke as he and Akako completed the spell. "But i guess I cannot change the path you chose no matter how much I want to."_

_A light blue light slowly builded up from the ground, gradually creating an impenetrable wall between the two. "It was nice while it lasted, being friends with you." The king said, a betrayed look in his eyes._

_"It was nice." The other repeated, and as the wall continued to build up, his figure slowly vanished, banishing him from anyone who walked the earth._

"Or that was the intention anyway." Haibara said with a sigh. "It turned out that he could exit it when it was weakened but he could never go farther than a few yards from the barrier since he was bound to the place. Still, we created a monthly schedule to know when we should renew the spell so that he couldn't get out."

"Is that so?" Kaito asked, "But you haven't told me yet, Elder-san, what his name was."

"I actually don't want to, Kuroba-kun, but I guess a deal is a deal." She mumbled, clearly not wanting to tell the prince.

She looked at him in the eyes with an unwavering gaze, holding it for some agonizingly long moments before she spoke, her voice quiet. "His name was Shinichi."


	3. Chapter 3

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He stared at her with a disbelieving expression, clearly showing the fact that he didn't believe her. She looked at him with a blank expression, as if studying a feral animal helplessly claw at its cage, unable to reach what's beyond the metal bars. Being the person that she was, she didn't speak and opted instead to observe as he blatantly rejected the idea by analyzing the little twitches and changes of rarely displayed facial expressions.

Thoughts were boundessly swimming, his mind shoving one thought after another, giving him the opportunity to find a plausible explanation for the stoic elder's sudden accusation of his friend. It appears as though Fate and Luck were not with him, for he had many explanations but they each ran short on validity. It was unfair, though, at how the elder wasn't enlightening his mind, but instead was silently laughing with her eyes at how lost he probably looked.

Shinichi wasn't a murderer. He was absolutely positive he wasn't because he just _knew_. It was a feeling inside of him that refused to think that Shinichi was a killer - those feelings, he might add, were correct most of the times. Shinichi was someone who seemed to care for life (something that he had inferred from their many interactions together at the clearing), so suddenly having someone - and an elder at that! - contradict his judgement, he felt a bit defensive.

"You are mistaken, Haibara-san, because Shinichi isn't a murderer. I would have figured something was wrong with him from our meetings." He said icily, rejection and refusal was obvious in his voice as he regarded her with hard eyes.

Haibara had the nerve to smirk at him of all things with the infuriating smirk he had unofficially dubbed the '_I-know-something-you-don't' _smirk. He internally twitched as she outright stared at him with a strange glint in her eyes. Said glint was making several, if not all of his mental alarms go off - which he ignored as curiosity had once again won the short war against his flight instincts.

He tensed as the devious girl opened her mouth to speak, expecting something just as devious to flow out. "Think what you want, Kuroba-kun, but I won't even consider your thoughts until you bring me some evidence stating otherwise. So until then, I will continue to stick with my story of Shinichi." He blinked at her with surprised eyes before a sharp grin overtook his features.

"That sounds like a challenge, Elder-san."

"What if it is?" She countered, a sly look on her face.

"Then challenge accepted." Kaito replied, giving off an air of excitement as he sauntered off after a short bow and a quick "Thank you" to Haibara.

_Good luck, Kuroba-kun. _Haibara thought, her expression changing into a thoughtful frown as she turned back to her desk, pencil in hand as she resumed her daily ritual of work.

Off to the side of her desk, an innocent note lay face-down, covering the flowing handwriting that was written upon it.

*~OoOoOo~*

You could say he was surprised, seeing Kaito arrive at the clearing day after day, sitting on his self-proclaimed rock or pacing back and forth, seeming lost in deep thought every time he came. Of course, he should have known that walking out of his life wouldn't have kept Kaito away and out of his; if he learned anything from their meetings, it was that one Kuroba Kaito could be _very _persistent when he wanted something.

So, piqued and interested of what the other would do, he had sometimes sat near the edge of the barrier, watching the prince intently. It was probably the first time he was thankful for the invisible wall that separated him from Kaito at this moment. It was similar to one of those mirrors where you could look through one side and see the other side, but the person on the other side could only look through and see their reflection. It was exactly like that except for the fact that Kaito didn't see his reflection, he saw the illusion of the taunting trees.

It gave him a sense of security, though, when Kaito unfailingly came everyday, never missing a single one. But as he continued to watch and see the dejection and frustration that made itself known little by little as the days passed, it had made him feel guilty since it was his fault for causing it. So much so that he had debated with himself for several days if he should make his presence known to Kaito. And soon, he had come to the conclusion that no, he shouldn't, because that would only cause more problems for him.

Honestly, it wasn't that he _wanted _to hurt Kaito; it was just what he thought would be best for the both of them. After all, with all the sudden problems that seemed to birth from them just meeting, it was best for him to distance himself to where he was meant to be. He wasn't even suppose to even meet Kaito - much less befriend him, so it was about time that he get back on the right track, the track he had been forced upon but followed without had returned to his lonely road and stayed there, continuing his life watching everything from a distance.

At least, until he had over-reaction that he can't help but thank a thousand times over.

He had been waiting patiently for Kaito on his side of the barrier, finally figuring his pattern of arrivals after several days of his watching. He sat, as he always did, against a tree near the edge of the barrier, listening expectantly for the slight sound of crunching footsteps. He waited and waited, not entirely certain of how long he had sat there before he opened his eyes to look around the clearing in a mix of confusion and worry. Kaito was late. Extremely late by his standards.

Being the prince he was, Kaito was a punctual person. He had always arrived on time even when he was doing something important (if it was paperwork, he would just bring it with him) or if Aoko or Hakuba - as he learned from the mutterings of "Stupid Hakuba" and loud yells of "Ahoko" and "BaKaito" that disrupted the peace of the forest - were bothering him.

So, to Shinichi, it was completely unnerving and a perfectly reasonable time for him to start panicking.

He had, in all honesty, pushed past the barrier with the little magic he had available and ran around the clearing, not sure of what he should actually do since he couldn't go any further because he was bound here. Still, in his panicky state of mind, he had checked every bush and tree, and every rock or stone, not leaving an inch of the clearing unchecked. After a few quick moments, he had tired himself out, weakened from using magic to exit the confining walls of the barrier after years of disuse and then running around like there was no tomorrow took a toll on him.

So he had forced himself to calm down and clear his mind, and sat with his back comfortably propped against a tree with his eyes closed as he took laboured breaths. He listened to the soothing sounds that the forest made for some time before the familiar sound of footsteps reached his ears.

His eyes shot open just as the footsteps came to an abrupt halt, and immediately darted towards the other side of the clearing, focusing only on getting on the other side of the barrier. Sure he had been worried about Kaito, but he didn't want him to _see _him. The footsteps started again, but this time they were heavier and quicker, unlike the slow and light steps they had arrived as.

Letting out a strangled grunt as he was roughly tackled to the ground, his back sliding none too smoothly against the dirt and grass, he grabbed at the other's shoulders, intending to shove them off him. But Kaito remained firm, his eyes burning brightly with determination as he locked gazes with him.

Well, his escape didn't go as planned.

"Shinichi." He breathed, irregular breaths barely noticable over the blood that pounded in his ears. Shinichi, too, breathed in slightly irregular puffs but for an entirely different reason. He was caught. All sense of worry that had fogged his head quickly vanished and was replaced by anxiety. After eluding Kaito's grasp for so long, one mistake on his part cause him to be trapped and pinned to the ground by a prince who obviously wanted something from him.

He struggled against the iron grip on his shoulders that kept him from escaping, but that only caused Kaito's grip to tighten, causing Shinichi to wince slightly at the nails that dug into his skin. "Shinichi," Kaito repeated, "I finally found you." His voice was overflowing with relief that it made Shinichi's eyes soften. "Do you know how long I've been waiting?"

Kaito was straddling him as he ran a tired hand through his messy locks of hair, not waiting for him to answer before he began his interrogation. "Why did you suddenly leave? Why, after so many weeks, did you decide to come out when _I wasn't here_?" He continued to babble on at a speed that Shinichi found difficult to keep up with and understand at the same time.

Biting the inside of his cheek when Kaito stopped to regard him with a questioning raise of eyebrows, he let out a long sigh, knowing that he couldn't keep anything from Kaito now that he was in his clutches. "I came out _because _you weren't here." He said, pointedly ignoring the first question. At the strange look he received, he elaborated, "For a punctual person such as you, it was strange at how you didn't arrive when you usually do."

Kaito gave him another strange look. "So you knew I was here?" He said, his voice slightly strained, "And you just sat there, watching as I waited for someone who was a few feet away for weeks?" He exclaimed, ignoring how Shinichi wriggled uncomfortably under him.

"I... Haven't you ever thought that I didn't come out for a reason?" Shinichi hissed, looking expectantly at Kaito. For someone such as Kaito, he would have thought of various possibilities for his leaving.

"Of course I have!" Kaito said, sounding thoroughly offended. "It's the reason why I was waiting."

"Why you were waiting?"

Kaito nodded, a serious expression foreign to Shinichi appeared. "I'm here to confirm if my sources are correct."

"Your... sources?" Shinichi asked weakly, the corners of his mouth made the slightest downwards twitch. Kaito nodded in affirmative, catching his companion's twitch. Somehow, Shinichi just knew that this was going to lead to more problems but he continued, "What did they say?"

Kaito could sense the stiffness and the underlying tone of hesitance in the question but he didn't say anything about it, still firmly believing that Shinichi was innocent of his accused crime. "She said you were a murderer." He mumbled, looking away from Shinichi, not sure if he even heard what he had just said.

"...What?"

Kaito sighed and repeated what he said, slightly louder this time, "She said you were a murderer." He worryingly felt Shinichi tense from head to toe as his eyes widened to such a state that he would have found comical if not for the heavy, no-nonsense situation they were in. "She said that you nearly killed an entire village!" He blurted out, unable to keep his concerns in any longer, It was always easy speaking to Shinichi and this was a fine example of how much he trusted him.

"She said that you were supposed to be trapped here because of it." He murmured quietly, looking at Shinichi with distressed eyes. "But I don't believe it. You don't seem like someone who would kill anyone for the fun of it - hell, you don't seem like someone who'll do it even for a huge reward. I just want to know if their right or wrong. So please, Shinichi, just tell me otherwise and I'll be fine." Indigo eyes pleaded Shinichi to voice his innocence, making him feel that much worse.

"I- I'm sorry, Kaito, but I just can't do that."

Kaito stared at him for a split second before he laughed, "Of course you can. All you have to say is something along the lines of 'I didn't kill anyone!' or whatnot." His attempt at a lighthearted joke failed to have any effect on Shinichi or the depressingly heavy silence that settled over him.

"There's no point in lying about my innocence, Kaito. No matter how much you want it to be different, I'll still be a murderer and will stay here because of it." Shinichi whispered, closing his eyes as he looked away from Kaito.

"You aren't a murderer, Shinichi! The Shinichi I know would never hurt anyone, much less kill them." Kaito said, desperately gripping Shinichi's shoulders. "Why should I believe you when you say you're a killer? You're a quiet, kind person who always listened to me whenever I needed someone to. You gave my life that spark of joy and excitement just by being there and being you." Kaito searched Shinichi's face, looking for anything that would hint that he wasn't a mass-murderer.

"If you were really a killer, then why didn't you kill me when you had the chance?" Kaito whispered this but it came out clear and strong.

Shinichi wondered for a few moments at how he should answer Kaito's question. There were plenty of choices to choose from so he went with the first that came to mind. "I've become weaker. There was no way I could have stood a chance against you."

"Bullshit." Kaito retorted. "You knew I was afraid of fish; you could have used that against me."

"Maybe I just wanted to play around with you before I killed you." Shinichi spoke the second choice.

"You wouldn't have dragged it out for so long. Days I could understand, but we've been meeting for _weeks_." Kaito countered.

"Maybe..." Shinichi cut himself off, pausing for a second before he resumed, quietly and unsure. "Maybe I was just lonely." Kaito's eyes widened fractionally in surprise. "After years of having no one to talk to or to be with, having you there brightened my life considerably. You were a gift that I had always wanted and I didn't want to let you go so soon, not when I needed you there the most."

"Shinichi..." Kaito whispered, touched by the fact that Shinichi had thought of him so dearly. "Like I said before, you brought the excitement and joy into my boring world. You gave me something to look forward to when I was discontent with my bland life, and you became someone who I could trust with my problems, someone who I could tell almost everything to. You lifted a heavy weight off my chest and I thank you for it."

Shinichi remained silent but he continued on, keeping his eyes on the other at all times. "But now it's my turn. It's time I returned the favor, Shinichi, and I need you to trust me. Don't run away from me." He leaned over and gently placed his forehead against Shinichi's, "I need you to lean on me, Shinichi."


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the support!

**Disclaimer: Everything goes to their rightful owners.**

* * *

The clock's steady, rhythmic ticking could be heard in the mostly silent room along with the occasional turn of paper or pencil taps. A lone figure sat in an eerily dark room with nothing but the moonlight that softly shone through the large window that was placed to the desk's right, shining perfectly on the various books and sheets of paper that were scattered about the desk. A page was turned and the quick, flowing movement of a pencil writing across paper ensued and continued for some brief moments until it gradually came to an end.

A second later, and all three hands were pointing towards the bold twelve that proudly hung from the top of the clock, quietly signalling for their exit. The second hand moved and the short figure silently jumped off the stool that they had occupied for several hours, landing gently on the balls of their feet before heading towards the large oak door on the other side of the room, not bothering to clean up the disorderly mess of papers that comfortably lay on top of one another, basking in the dim moonlight.

Pausing for a moment at the door as a small hand shot out to hurriedly grab a note that was laying next to a beautifully decorated vase, the shadowed figure of a child carefully placed it inside the white lab coat. With a quiet creak from the door as it closed, the room became peacefully quiet as its only occupant exited the confines of the large dark brown walls that had become a familiar sight over the years.

Fast-paced footsteps echoed in the grand halls decorated with portraits and plants as the child seemed to ignore the bustling maids that stopped whatever preparation they were doing to politely bow to her. She made no move to acknowledge their courtesies and continued her way to her desired destination.

"Haibara-san!"

She halted her steps and marginally turned her head to glare out of the corner of her eye at the one who interrupted her trek. She saw Hakuba who abruptly paused his rapid advances on her to stand stock-still as if frozen, not wanting to anger the obviously busy elder any more than he had already unintentionally had.

"What?" She snapped, still glaring at him with clear impatience, "Can't you see I'm busy?"

Hakuba relaxed slightly from his tense position and gave a small nod. "Ah yes, I apologize for interrupting you in your haste, but this I came to give you an important message from the queen." Taking out a white envelope stamped closed with a clover insignia, he cautiously came up to her and held out the thin envelope, waiting for her to accept it with an everlasting pool of patience.

She took the note and looked at the seal for a brief moment and placed it together with the note inside her pocket. With a quick wave of a hand, she resumed her steps, not once looking back, not once seeing the incredulous look that settled upon Hakuba's face. "Thank you." And she turned the corner, leaving Hakuba to shake his head slightly, muttering something about "elders who don't understand the meaning of _important_" before shrugging it off and walking away in the opposite direction as Haibara.

He knew that she would look at it eventually.

*~OoOoOo~*

Pinching the bridge of her nose before giving a small sigh, she glared with hard eyes at the double doors that led to the queen's chamber. She had nothing against the queen and respected her tremendously for her way of handling the country and for her wonderful judgement; but even so, she did not like having her plans ruined to nonexistent bits the moment she stepped out of her study. It occurred to her how remarkable the queen's timing was. After all, she chose the very moment she decided to initiate her plans to deliver a letter.

A _vague _letter of all things.

It would not do, no, not being able to be absolutely confident in her interpretation of the abstract letter. Her curiosity and hunger for knowledge had decided to make itself known while reading the letter, forcing her to meet the very thing that would abate it, the one who sent it. The ever-so-cryptic queen.

So, deciding to grace the queen with a look of annoyance and a scowl for emphasis, she twisted the knob with somewhat more force than necessary and strode in, tired eyes instantly morphing into a glare as it met with cheery indigo eyes. An elegant hand motioned for her to take a seat on an armchair placed directly across from her on the other side of the table. Obeying only to comfort her mental exhaustion for a little while, she sat, regarding the queen with serious eyes, as she waited patiently for her to put an end to her stalling as she continued pouring a considerate amount of tea for them both.

Sitting back with a pleased smile, she raised the warm cup to her lips, savoring the trickle of tea as it slid down her throat before placing it down with a contented sigh. "How have you been lately, Haibara-san?"

"..."

"I see you're still as silent as ever. Tell me, has anything interesting happened as of late?" She asked, politely taking another sip of her tea with a smile, eyes boring into hers over the rim of the exquisite cup.

"..."

With a sigh, the queen relinquished her hold on the cup as she placed it on the table with a gentle click, folding her hands on her lap. She released a breath before meeting the small elder's intimidating gaze evenly, waiting for her to speak her thoughts.

"Why have you called me here?" Quick and to the point.

"As frank as always, Haibara-san." She airily said, noticing how the elder's lips pressed together into a thin line.

"Answer the question. I do not have all day for pointless chatter, Chikage." Ah, and a new hint of spice as well.

"I don't see what made you think I wanted to discuss anything important with you, _Elder-san_." Chikage said casually, evidently ignoring how the narrowed eyes quickly evolved into another hot glare. "Could I not ask for someone to enter my chamber without them thinking that all I want is to endlessly converse about the pressing matters of our country? It's not like there _are _any..." She muttered the last part under her breath but Haibara's keen ears still caught it. Still, the elder did not address it in favor of keeping her icy composure.

"Then I suggest you call for someone else to talk to; I have urgent matters of my own to tend to." Haibara stood up and bowed in one swift, fluid motion, then promptly made her way towards the double doors that she had looked upon in dread just moments prior. _It seems I have to make do with the remaining time I have, then, _she distressingly thought with a sigh and snuck a quick glance at the grandfather clock, _But it appears that time is not in my favor either._

"I am worried." The queen's small voice reached her ears, "I am worried, Haibara-san, for my son."

Haibara's swift footfalls faltered for a split second before they came to a slow halt, pausing before the doors that would lead to her desperately wanted freedom where she could finally settle her mind as she did and finished her plans. Conflicting debate ensuing in her mind, she stared at the door, contemplating the pros and cons of which direction she chose to go towards. Of course, she had twisted her body marginally to look at the troubled queen with renewed curiosity, choosing to figure out what had plagued the queen's mind with anxiety.

She brightened as she made eye contact with the reserved girl, a delighted grin spread on her lips. She blinked before coughing delicately into her hand, this time looking back at Haibara with a pleasant smile as her indigo eyes shined with mirth.

"I knew you would understand, Haibara-san."

Haibara rolled her eyes but once again sat in the armchair, wondering if this was worth not initiating her earlier plans. Looking at the clock as the minute hand slowly crawled to the six, she decided that she would just have to make time for it tomorrow. After all, getting her curiosity fed was, at this moment, first and foremost on her importance list.

*~OoOoOo~*

Perhaps he shouldn't constantly annoy and ignore the maids for too long, he decided as the head maid brutally dragged him across the quiet halls, an occasional giggle of stifled snort of amusement from the maids or advisors only made the strict lady harshly yank him forward - or backwards in his case, for she held the collar of his shirt in an iron-grip, making him stumble over his feet in a vain attempt to regain his balance. But then again, another part of his mind countered as he was jerked around the corner, arms flailing outwards to balance himself, they should have known that he wouldn't _always _listen to them. Really, what fun was there in that?

He let out a let out an overly dramatic, strangled choke from his throat as the head maid pulled just _a little too _hard, effectively cutting off his air supply for but a moment. An annoyed growl erupted from the young lady's throat, making Kaito seal his lips at the sound warning. He didn't want his life to be strangled short a few years, after all, by someone who is more than capable of doing so.

Another harsh yank and that reasoning was stomped upon and shredded to nonexistence. "Aoko!" He exclaimed, pulling at his collar in an attempt to get air into his withering lungs, "Why do you have to pull so roughly? Take pity on my air deprived lungs!" With a dramatic gasp at another, much more powerful yank, he stumbled backwards before quickly back-flipping onto his feet, a smug grin on his face.

Aoko, red in the face with pure anger, directed a seething glare at the showman whom blinked innocently at her with teasing indigo eyes. Screwing her eyes shut, Aoko continuously reminded herself that she had a job to do and would do it _without _getting caught up in a childish banter with the equally childish prince because that was what he _wanted _her to do. Plus, it gave him an easier way of escape, and she wouldn't want _that _to happen when her blood was boiling, would she?

No, she wouldn't.

She mentally counted to ten - something that she had always seen Hakuba do when around Kaito - and hooked her fingers on his collar again, resuming her dragging Kaito along the floor. "This is very important, BaKaito, so you better be still and obedient or I'll have to call Akako-san to cast some spell on you." Aoko bit out through tightly clenched teeth, stomping as she vented out some of her anger on unsuspecting, unfortunate someones.

Kaito was deftly thrown into his room, left to stare at the ceiling until a group of maids forced him to stand up while tailors began measuring and writing down notes. It made him feel vulnerable, just standing here as they politely stripped him of most of his clothes, only leaving his undergarments on. It wasn't as if they did anything indecent, it was just that he felt insecure without having his various magic _on _him during this - the main reason why he hated "clothes making time" as Aoko and his mother put it.

He supposed that leaving and magicking his measurements for the tailors would be rather elementary. But this was also for an event important to Kaito, one that was so important that he would dutifully do what Aoko and his mother say. So, if they say he needed to be measured for some new clothes, then he would stand here until they were done measuring and leave to do whatever he wanted until they called for him again.

He would continue this for the rest of the day. And until the day after the important event, he would cause mayhem and chaos until he felt satisfied that he put everyone involved through just as much torture as they put him through.

Maybe more, maybe less. But really, who's complaining?

He certainly isn't.

After they deemed him measured, Kaito poofed away with bright pink smoke, leaving the tailors and maids to cough helplessly, as he happily walked through the palace's corridors, planning to see what his mother would want him to do next. As he neared her chamber, he heard muffled, arguing voices beyond the door. Curious as he was, he stopped his tracks by the door and listened intently as he listened to the familiar voices of Haibara and his mother argue with each other in controlled voices.

"Why _now _of all times, Chikage, when we finally initiated the plan?" Haibara's angered voice reached his ears. _Strange, _he thought, _Haibara is always calm no matter what the circumstance._

"Because I decided now to think straight, Haibara-san. I've always trusted and listened to you and the other Elders because I felt that it was the best choice when it came to topics such as these." She replied, her voice somewhat strained, "But now, when my only child is out there putting himself at risk - when he doesn't even know it, might I add! - I think it's time that I started making some of my own decisions here."

Surprised that he was mentioned, Kaito crept closer to the door, mindful of keeping his presence unknown to the bickering ladies who both had a strong sense of knowing when there were eavesdroppers.

"He's _safe_. We've planned this out for _years_ and we've taken every possibility into concern. Your son will be completely unharmed when going through this plan." Haibara retorted, gaining back part of her lost composure. "Do you not trust us?"

"I am debating with myself if I do or not." Chikage answered softly, "After all, it was that same trust that my husband put into you that caused his death."

*~OoOoOo~*

The sound of faint footsteps caused his eyelids to snap open in alert. It was far too late for Kaito to be visiting so he slowly stood from his sitting place in the moonlight and hid in the shadows, cautiously raking the area for his surprise visitor. As he saw a figure dressed entirely in black, he slowly backtracked, making his way into the confines for the barrier before he let his shoulders slump slightly from its tense position.

He continued to observe the man whom seem to be headed straight for him, his teeth gleamed as a predatory grin made its way on his face. Stopping on the other side of the barrier, almost nose to nose with Shinichi, the mysterious figure gave a menacing, dark chuckle that made Shinichi's blood go cold at the familiar sound of it. Looking up, his startled blue gaze locked onto the piercing, killer gaze of the mysterious man.

"I found you, Shinichi."


End file.
